January 14, 2010 - Women robbed in area mall lots by ski-mask bandit

Women are being warned to be on the lookout for a man in a ski mask after three were robbed of their purses -- one at gunpoint -- by a suspect in parking lot shopping malls in Lincolnshire, Deer Park and Wauconda.

Police believe the culprit is most likely the same man, Kildeer Detective Paul Seekings said Wednesday. Kildeer police investigated the Deer Park incident at the Deer Park Town Center on Route 12, west of Route 43.

The first incident was Thursday evening in Lincolnshire at the Lincolnshire Commons parking lot in the 900 block of Milwaukee Avenue. The woman, in her 60s, was approached by a man as she exited her vehicle and was heading for one of the mall's restaurants.

She said he pointed a handgun at her and demanded her purse. She fought him for a short time and he was able to knock her down, get the purse and flee on foot from the area. He was described as tall, slender, possibly a white male, wearing a ski mask.

In the other two incidents, the suspect did not use a gun or imply that he had one, said Seekings.

Friday in Deer Park, a 67-year-old Inverness woman was robbed. Some of the contents from her purse were recovered in Mundelein. Seeking said she also struggled with the robber.

"If you get robbed, don't struggle. Instead, observe them and see if you can see the vehicle they escape in and get a license plate number," he said.

"If you call the credit card company they will flag your card," Seekings added. He can't remember a case where a consumer was not protected after immediately calling their credit card company. If you carry your Social Security card, you will need to call the Federal Trade Commission to report it stolen, he said.

"Be cautious and be aware. If something doesn't feel right, get back into your car and lock it or go back into the store and call police," he said.

"If something looks suspicious give us a call. We are always going on suspicious person calls," said Seekings.

In the Wauconda incident a tall man about 200 pounds wearing a black coat and black hat waited for a 24-year-old woman to start unloading groceries into her trunk at the Liberty Square mall.

"He just grabbed her purse and fled," said Wauconda Deputy Chief Patrick Yost. The suspect knocked over a Jewel shopping cart as he grabbed the victim's purse from the baby seat area of the cart.

Yost also cautioned about struggling, although he understands that is the first instinct. "Try to keep your wits about you. What were they wearing? What did the car look like? These are the important things," he said.

"You hate to think someone out there saw something, but didn't think much of it," said Yost. "You never know, you could be the one that helps."

To see this article on the News-Sun website:  http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/1990002,5_1_WA14_PRSNATCHR_S1-100114.article